Dems fail to grasp basic tenets of humanity

Recently we have heard much about the follies of the current Republican Party and how switching to the Democrats would benefit the country immeasurably, if for no other reason than that surely they could not do a worse job. This is a dangerous assertion based upon an ignorance of the worldview of those who would become the principal decision-makers if the Democrats should regain power. They cannot be trusted to govern responsibly because they fail to understand some of the most basic truisms of human nature and the well-ordered society. Let us now consider three points on which the Democrats fail to understand the reality of our world — the depravity of man, the laws of scarcity, and the necessity of public morality in a good society — and why these failures render them disqualified for governing.

Human beings, given the opportunity, will commit the most horrible acts against each other for the sake of personal advantage. They are even more violent and dangerous when they are motivated by an ideology that transcends the narrow scope of their own existence. The prevailing view in the current Democratic Party (cf. Ned Lamont, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton and others) is that this is a tiresome thought from an older age that unfortunately was not graced by the wisdom to be found in our time. The left claims that all people are susceptible to the universal appeal of reason; if only we were to listen more and talk more and be more considerate, all violence in the world would cease, and we would be the beneficiaries of an era of universal peace and happiness. Those who would make such arguments either have not learned from the experience of their predecessors or are possessed by an incomparable arrogance. Either way, they are not suited to holding positions of authority and responsibility in society.

It is another truism that maximizing the ability of individuals to make informed decisions that maximize their personal welfare will lead to a prosperous economy. Some disagree and prefer to erect a system of arcane and intricate rules and regulations that stifle innovation and development in a labyrinth of Byzantine proportions, all the while attempting to direct economic activity through crude dirigisme. Such an approach goes against one of the basic principles of economics, namely, that no single intelligence could possibly distribute resources more efficiently than the combined intelligence of a free market. These people also argue in favor of wage and price controls, forgetting that these lead to shortages of goods and jobs. How does increasing unemployment help the poor? Let us also not forget the canard that raising taxes raises government revenue and cutting taxes lowers it. The economy is a dynamic system that responds to different levels of taxation. The growth caused by supply-side tax cuts leads to greater government revenue that exceeds those cuts. That is why government revenues over the past two years have been far higher than what was projected by the Democratic opposition. Raising taxes would not close the deficit gap but curtail the recovery. Those who would deny these basic facts cannot be trusted to manage the purse strings of our society.

Lastly, we must remember the warning of the ancients in describing their own society: “Manifold amusements have led to people’s obsession with ruining themselves and with consuming all else through excess and self-indulgence.” The sexualizing of our culture, the decline of traditional morality, the high rate of divorce, and the disturbing level of crime all point to the incipient disintegration of our society. We must stand fast against these corruptions of the modern age and preserve the traditional social order against the tides of self-degradation. Many in our time, understandably, are unwilling to make the difficult decisions and exert the effort that is needed to preserve society against moral decay and collapse. Even though we can understand and empathize with their weakness, that is no excuse for allowing them to participate, by either omission or commission, in the dissolution of our social fabric.

Tragically, the current American political system is divided between those who recognize the truisms explained above and those who do not. The Democratic Party, regrettably, fails to understand the reality of the world, either in regards to the depravity of man, the need for free markets, or the danger of moral corruption to maintaining a stable society. The current Republican Congress and presidency are certainly imperfect, since all men are by nature fallible beings, but it is clear that the Republicans are the only party with the credibility and seriousness to properly helm the American ship of state.

Matthew Klein is a sophomore in Berkeley College. He is the Yale College Republicans’ vice president for activism.